Earpieces for use by police and security personnel are well known. Such earpieces are used to facilitate listening to two-way radios and the like. Thus, such earpieces allow the police or security personnel to hear important communications that may affect their safety and/or the safety of others.
An earpiece is typically connected to a radio by a communications link, which typically comprises the combination of a length of acoustic tubing and a length of electrical cable. The acoustic tubing extends from the earpiece to a transducer, such as a small speaker. The electrical cable extends from the transducer to the radio.
Thus, electrical signals from the radio travel via the electrical cable to the transducer, where they are converted into acoustic signals. The acoustic signals then travel via the acoustic tubing from the transducer to the earpiece, where they can be heard.
Generally, the acoustic tubing proximate the earpiece will be coiled, so as to readily provide a desired length of tubing, while at the same time taking up any slack.
Typically, a single earpiece is worn in a selected ear. The selected ear may be chosen such that routing of the communications link is convenient in light of the placement of the radio and/or other gear. The selected ear may also be chosen merely as a matter of personal preference.
That is, in some instances the overall configuration of a person's gear may make it more convenient to wear the radio on the right side. In this instance it is generally preferred that the communications link be routed along the right side, thus generally making it preferably to wear the earpiece on the right side.
However, in other instances the overall configuration of the person's gear may make it more convenient to wear the radio on the left side. In this instance it is generally preferred that the communications link be routed along the left side, thus generally making it preferably to wear the earpiece on the left side.
Occasionally, it is desirable to change the ear in which the earpiece is worn. This may be necessitated by a change in the configuration of the wearer's gear, or again may merely be a matter of personal preference.
Contemporary earpieces that are used by police and security personnel with two-way radios are dedicated to either the right or left ear. That is, a user must select and wear an earpiece that is specifically constructed for use with a particular ear. A contemporary conchae bowl worn earpiece made for use in the right ear cannot be properly worn in the left ear and visa-versa.
As long as a dedicated earpiece is worn in the correct ear, then it is generally acceptably comfortable and will generally tend to stay in place. However, there is room for improvement in both the comfort and ability to remain in place associated with such contemporary earpieces.
It is particularly important that such earpieces remain securely in place within the ear during vigorous use. Frequently, it is during such vigorous use that communications provided by two-way radio are most critical.
It is also important that an earpiece be comfortable to wear. An uncomfortable earpiece can be a distraction. An attempt by a police officer or security person to adjust an earpiece, so as to make it more comfortable, may result in a missed communication or may be a distraction in itself that results in an unsafe situation.
If an attempt is made to use a contemporary earpiece in the wrong ear, it will not fit properly and therefore will be uncomfortable and subject to falling out. Thus, contemporary earpieces can only be used in the ear for which they were intended.
Of course, the use of such dedicated earpieces necessitates that separate left and right earpieces be purchased, maintained in inventory, and carried into the field by police and security personal. Purchasing and maintaining separate left and right earpieces in inventory is both costly and inconvenient.
Requiring that separate left and right earpieces be carried by police and security personnel in the field is undesirable. Such personnel have a strictly limited capacity to carry gear in the field. They can only carry a certain amount of gear and still remain effective in the performance of their duties.
Thus, although such contemporary dedicated earpieces have proven generally suitable for their intended purposes, they possess inherent deficiencies that detract from their overall effectiveness and desirability. To date, no contemporary earpiece can be worn in the conchae of either ear while allowing the wearer to adequately hear outside or ambient sound.
As such, although the prior art has recognized, to a limited extent, the need to provide earpieces for two-way radios, the proposed solutions have, to date, been ineffective in providing a satisfactory remedy. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a single earpiece that can be used in either ear, which is comfortable to wear, and which remains securely in place within the ear during vigorous use.